Single-use toothbrush



July v7, 1959 E. z. FILLER ET AL 2,893,036

SINGLE-USE TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 26, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS,0W/4A0 z muse BY JOSEPH-J. r5475? Mww United States Patent 2,893,036SINGLE-USE TOOTHBRUSH Edward Z. Filler, Roslyn Heights, andloseph J.Kelter,

Brooklyn, N.Y. a

1 Application November-26, 1 957,Se rlal No. 699,107 4 Claims. 01. -176)The present invention relates to a single-use toothbrush, and moreparticularly to a self-contained singleuse toothbrush which may be usedto brush the teeth Without the addition of an external dentifrice andwhich achieves a brushing action in which the brushing sur-. face issupported by an exceptionally resilient and cushioned-base.

A wide variety of single-use toothbrush heads have heretofore beensuggested. Such toothbrush heads are in the main unsatisfactory for anumber of reasons. For example, in many simple single-use toothbrushhead constructions it is not feasible to retain the toothbrush headinits-holder in use, and the same is prone to become disengaged from itsholder. Moreover, many prior singleuse toothbrush heads are bulky andare not readily portable'nor can they be readily dispensed from a smallsize container. I

i'While it has heretofore been suggested to incorporate a-dentifriceinto a single-use toothbrush head, prior constructions have not provedsatisfactory because the dentifrice when wetted at the time of usetended in the main to. become dissipated through the toothbrush head sothatthe relatively small amount of dentifrice which may be carried upona single-use toothbrush head failed to adequately serve its dentifricepurposes. Other prior disposable toothbrush heads have been difficult tomanufacture and did not lend themselves to rapid manufacturingtechniques.

This-invention has as an object the provision of a greatly improvedsingle-use toothbrush having a toothbrush head which may be disposed ofafter asingle usage and which is easy to manufacture by high speedproduction techniques. 1

This invention has as another object the provision of a single-usetoothbrush having a disposable toothbrush head upon which is depositedthe right amount of dentifrice, and which dentifrice is available to theuser in the right amount and is not dissipated through the toothbrushhead.

. The present invention has as yet another object the provision of asingle-use toothbrush having a disposable toothbrush head which in itsnon-use or storage condition is of relatively small size so as to permitlarge numbers of such heads to be stored within a small volume, and yetwhich in its use condition is 'of a size that is satisfactory for thebrushing of human teeth, a size atv least twice the height of the sizeofthe head in its storage condition.

This invention has as yet another object the provision of a single-usetoothbrush of sanitary construction whose head may be in a sterile formwhen the same is inserted into the mouth of the user. r 1

.Other objects will appear hereinafter. ff'For the purpose ofillustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings-a form whichis presently preferredpit being understood, however, that this inventionis not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

2,893,036 Patented July 7, 1959 Referring to the drawings wherein likereference characters refer to like parts:

Figure 1 is an exploded view revealing the sandwich mode of manufactureof the single-use toothbrush head utilized in the single-use toothbrushof the present invention, the various components of the toothbrush headbeing shown positioned in respect to each other prior to theirassemblage.

Figure 2 reveals the stage in the process of manufacture of thetoothbrush head of the present invention in which the dentifrice isapplied to the uppermost or bristle layer of the toothbrush head.

Figure 3 is an exploded view revealing the scoring and cutting away ofthe individual disposable toothbrush heads of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view from above of an individual disposabletoothbrush head of the present invention prior to wetting.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the singleuse toothbrush ofthe present invention showing the assembly of the same.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the head portion of thetoothbrush of the present invention showing the toothbrush head in itsnon-expanded position prior to the wetting of the dentifrice and theexpansion of the expandable cellulose portion of the toothbrush head.

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the single-use toothbrush of thepresent invention when the toothbrush head has been wetted and is in itsexpanded condition with the dentifrice available for use.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken through the expanded toothbrushhead when the same is in its wetted condition.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 4 through 9 inclusivethe toothbrush of the present invention is designated generally as 10.Toothbrush 10 includes the handle 12 which has the customary shank 14,and which includes a narrowed neck 16 intermediate the head end 18 andsuch shank 14. The handle 12 is preferably unitary and may be composedof molded and set plastic material as will be readily understood byanyon having skill in the art.

The handle head end 18 is provided with a pair of inwardly directedflanges 20 which define the way 22 having a stop shoulder 24 at thenarrowed neck portion 16. As seen particularly in Figure 5 the way 22 isopen at its extreme end to provide for the sliding reception and removalof the disposable head 26.

The disposable head 26 comprises a laminated structure formed from aplurality of layers as will be hereinafter described. The bottommostlayer 28 is formed from a stilfiy resilient flexible plastic sheetmaterial, such as Lucite, a polymerized methyl methacrylatethermoplastic resin or Ethocel, an ethyl cellulose plastic. Thebottommost layer 28 is relatively rigid compared to the remaining layersof the head 26 and comprises the base which is received against thefloor of way 22 of toothbrush 10.

As will be seen from Figures 5 and 7 the flanges 20 extend somewhatabove the height of bottommost layer 28 and engage the expandable layer30 which is superposed above the bottommost layer 28 and secured theretoby plastic cement or the like. Preferably the expandable layer 30 isformed of a material which expands on being wetted with Water to atleast double its height. Thus, such material-need not expand in alldirections to double its unwetted condition, but should expandintermediate the bottommost layer 28 and the bristle layer 32 to doubleits height dimension which it occupies prior to being wetted. We havefound expandable cellulose,

such as that sold as Sponcal. cellulose, to be eminently suited for useas expandablelayer 30. It is possible to obtain such expandablecellulose in a form such that the same will expand; to;;appr'eciablymore. than double its original height when being wetted with1water and.will expand outwardly (namely at the'free sides thereof not engagedwith. expandable layer 30 andbristle layer 32 for a significant degreebut much less than the expansion in the direction away from the floorof'the way 22).

The bristle layer 32 Which is superposed to the expandable layer 30 andsecured thereto is formed from an impervious flexible material,preferably soft rubber.

The bristle layer 32 comprises a plurality of staggered.

bristle elements 34 integrally formed therefrom andrising upwardly. fromthe bristle layer '32. Dentifrice 36 is carried on the bristlelayer 32intermediate the bristle elements 34 with the uppermost surface of'the.dentifrice 36 beingflush with the uppermost surface of the bristleelements 34. The dentifrice 36 is ofsuch nature that when wetted withwater it is activated. If desired, the dentifrice 36-may includecomponents which'froth somewhat on being wetted with water.

As seen particularly in Figure 6 the sides of toothbrush head 26 arevertical from .top to bottom when the toothbrush head 26 is in its drycondition prior to being mounted onto thehandle 12. The toothbrush head26 may be inserted onto'way 22 and retained therein since even in itsdry condition the expandable layer 30 is somewhat resilient permittingthefree ends of the flanges 20 to bear into it so that the head 26 issecurely gripped in the head end18 of handle 12.

In the dry condition of toothbrush head 26 it is of minimum size so thata large number of such toothbrush heads may be stored within arelatively small volume. Such toothbrush heads 26 may be. sterilizedprior to packaging, as by exposure to heated air, and may be packaged insuch a manner that a sterile toothbrush head is delivered to the user atthe time of use.

Since the amount of dentifrice may be closely controlled at the timeofmanufacture, the right amount of dentifrice is carried by eachtoothbrush head. Since bristle layer 32is impervious, none of thedentifrice 36 will be lost to the expandable layer .30 when thetoothbrush head 26 is wetted as would be the case were the dentifrice 36carried directly upon the expandablerlayer 30.

The toothbrush head 26 when wetted expands in the manner illustrated in,Figures 8.and 9. Thus, the expandable layer 30 rises so that the bristlelayer 32 is spaced from the bottommost layer 28 more than double the.distance which it was .spaced therefrom in the dry condition oftoothbrush head 26. The dentifrice 36 being iwetted is' immediatelyavailable for use. Moreover, the expandable layer '30 expands laterallyso that it projects beyond the position which it occupied when it wasdry. Thus, the sides .of toothbrush head 26 instead of being'verticalbulge convexly outwardly when the toothbrush head 26 is wetted. Theoutward bulging of the expandable layer 30. causes the same to expandboth above and below the region of engagement withthe flanges 20. Thisaccomplishes the anchoring of the toothbrush head 26 to the head end 18so that disengagement during brushing is avoided.

The formation of the toothbrush head 26 is shown in Figures 1 through 3.In the first stage sheets of the bottommost layer 28, the expandablelayer 30, and the bristle layer 32are superposed in the manner shown inFigure l and the layers cemented together by non-toxic plastic cement.Dentifrice 36 is then poured over the bristle.layer -34 ,(see Figure 2).The uppermost. surface of the dentifrice 36 is then: doctored byconventional.

doctor means so that the same isfiUShiIWith the bristle elements 34of'bristle layer .32..

The laminated. structure is then scored and cut (see Figure 3). Sincethe sides of each of the toothbrush heads 26 are vertical, the cuttingaway of the toothbrush heads 26 may be readily accomplished byperpendicularly cutting the laminated mass along rectangular scorelines, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The toothbrush heads 26 may then be packaged, as for example in amagazine, or in individual envelopes, and sterilized; Sterilization maybe accomplished as heretofore indicated by exposing the toothbrush heads26 to the action of heated air.

The toothbrush heads 26 arestored and dispensed in their dry condition,and'in such condition they occupy the minimum volume. In the wetcondition of the toothbrush heads 26 the brushing action which isachieved is the most satisfactory since the bristles 34 are supported bythe highly resilient layer 30, such layer 30 being highly cellular. inits expanded condition. This permits the toothbrush. heads 26' to brushcurvedsurfaces andto achieve a' de'gree of accommodation during brushingwhich may notLbe achievedv by conventional bristle type toothbrushes;

Thetoothbrush heads 26 are discarded after use; In this fashion the mostsanitary brushing may be'achieved with the optimum amount of:dentifrice.

The presentinvention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or cssenital attributes: thereof: and;accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims,.ratherthan to the foregoing specification. as indicating the scope of theinvention;

We claim:

1. Asingle-use toothbrush'comprising a handlehaving a receiver at oneend, said receiver including inwardly projecting means, and a disposablesingle-use toothbrush head carried in said receiver, saidhead'comprisinga relatively rigid and relatively thin bottommost layer,a layer. ofrpliable material which expands greatly when wetted with'water superposed above and secured to said bottommost layer, a bristlelayer comprising a layer of pliable rubber that is impervious to water,said bristle layer having bristles projecting upwardly,.said bristlelayer being superposed above and secured to said pliable material layer,each of said layers being of uniform thickness throughout its entirelength and having straight sides, the inwardly projecting means of saidreceiverbeing adaptedto grasp the layer of pliable ma ten'alwhen itexpandsgreatlywhen wetted with water.

2. In a single-use toothbrush as defined in claim 1 a dentifrice whichis activated by water disposed on the uppermost surface of said bristlelayer.

3. A disposable single-use toothbrush head comprising arelatively rigidand relatively thin bottommost layer,-a layer of pliable material whichexpands greatly when wetted with water superposed above and secured tosaid bottommost layer, and a bristle layer comprising a layer .ofpliable rubber that is imperviousto water, said bristle layer-havingbristles projecting upwardly, and said bristle layer beingsuperposedabove and secured to said pliable material layer, and eachof said layers bein'g of-uniform thickness throughout its entire lengthand having straight'side's;

'4. A disposablesingle-use toothbrush headin accord ance withclaim 3having dentifrice-disposed on the upper most surface of said bristlelayer.

References- Cited-inthe file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,128,04 5 Reenstierna Feb. 9. 1915 2,217,439. Fuller Oct. 8, 19402,476,201. .Ligoure: July 12, 1949

